For years Adobe have been sending me invitations to attend a variety of seminars, conferences and product launches, and I finally decided to succumb and go along to the Australian launch of the Adobe Creative Suite, held in Sydney last week.

Creative Suite is a collection of Adobe products rolled into one package, and includes new versions of Photoshop, Illustrator, Go Live, and In Design. Part of the reason in bringing these products together as one package is to reduce confusion as to which versions of Adobe’s software products are compatible with each other.

To demonstrate the features and advantages of the new suite, two of the product developers acted out a nice little roleplay, mimicking designers in a studio, working on a project to a tight deadline, while the work on their computer monitors was projected onto a screen above the stage they were on.

All rather cozy, fun, and informative, and topped off with a nice smattering of gags and one liners. For all the great choreography though, it was the ending of the playact that let the production down. The two actors decided, almost arbitrarily it seemed, that the presentation was over, and with no transition at all, one of them was suddenly hauling a lectern across the stage, so he could declare that segment of proceedings closed.

Then again, maybe I blinked and missed something. And another thing, what’s the fixation with Hawaiian shirts? Why do they seem to be regarded as an enduring statement of retro non conformist zaniness? From theme parties to casual wear on office mufti days, the Hawaiian shirt seems to constitute the continual butt of a never ending joke.

I only mention this because the Adobe road show crew were wearing them, (er, so we would know who they were) but isn’t it time we changed the record? The joke’s becoming a tad tired. Nothing against Hawaii, or Hawaiian shirts either, of course.